Top Body Horror Manga Recommendations

Chainsaw Man

Also known as Chainsaw Man.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Comedy , Drama , Horror , Supernatural

The name says it all! Denji's life of poverty is changed forever when he merges with his pet chainsaw dog, Pochita! Now he's living in the big city and an official Devil Hunter. But he's got a lot to learn about his new job and chainsaw powers!



Notes:
- Nominated for the 2020 Manga Taisho Award.
- Winner of the 2021 Kono Manga ga Sugoi Award.
- Winner of the 66th Shogakukan Manga Award in the shounen category.
- Winner of the 2021 and 2022 Harvey Award for Best Manga.
- Chapters 1-97 were released in Weekly Shounen Jump from Dec 3, 2018 to Dec 13, 2020. The series resumed from Ch. 98 in Shounen Jump+ on July 12, 2022

Tags: Demons , Tragedy , Urban Fantasy , Psychosexual , Coming of Age , Male Protagonist , Dissociative Identities , Gore , Body Horror , Cosmic Horror , Henshin , Urban , Monster Boy , Survival , Found Family , Female Protagonist , Work , Memory Manipulation , Shounen , Anti-Hero , Unrequited Love , Alternate Universe , Heterosexual , Ensemble Cast , Cult , Politics , Guns , Assassins , Yandere , Monster Girl , Human Pet , Revenge , Shapeshifting , Terrorism , Femdom , Surreal Comedy , Philosophy , Slapstick , Meta , Primarily Teen Cast , Super Power , Afterlife , Nudity , School , Cannibalism , Delinquents , Angels , Necromancy , Amnesia , Time Skip , Yakuza , Mafia , Tsundere , Time Manipulation , Zombie , Chimera , Motorcycles , Vore , Denpa , Bisexual

Jujutsu Kaisen

Also known as Jujutsu Kaisen.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Supernatural

Although Yuji Itadori looks like your average teenager, his immense physical strength is something to behold! Every sports club wants him to join, but Itadori would rather hang out with the school outcasts in the Occult Research Club. One day, the club manages to get their hands on a sealed cursed object. Little do they know the terror they’ll unleash when they break the seal…



Notes:
- Ranked 1st in Japan's Bookstore Employees Top Manga of 2018.
- Nominated for the 25th Annual Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2021.
- Nominated for the 65th Shogakukan Manga Award in the Shounen Category in 2019.
- Includes one extra chapter.

Tags: Urban Fantasy , Demons , Super Power , Shounen , Curses , Tragedy , Monster Boy , Male Protagonist , Youkai , Magic , Martial Arts , Body Horror , Dissociative Identities , Death Game , Battle Royale , Gore , Primarily Teen Cast , Urban , Exorcism , Ensemble Cast , Cosmic Horror , Sadism , Body Swapping , Cult , School , Anthropomorphism , Assassins , Amnesia , Slapstick , Time Skip , Time Manipulation , Swordplay , Transgender , LGBTQ+ Themes , Nudity , Primarily Male Cast

Berserk

Also known as Berserk.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Adventure , Drama , Fantasy , Horror , Psychological

His name is Guts, the Black Swordsman, a feared warrior spoken of only in whispers. Bearer of a gigantic sword, an iron hand, and the scars of countless battles and tortures, his flesh is also indelibly marked with The Brand, an unholy symbol that draws the forces of darkness to him and dooms him as their sacrifice. But Guts won't take his fate lying down; he'll cut a crimson swath of carnage through the ranks of the damned—and anyone else foolish enough to oppose him! Accompanied by Puck the Elf, more an annoyance than a companion, Guts relentlessly follows a dark, bloodstained path that leads only to death...or vengeance.



Notes:
- Volumes 1-5 contain the 16 prequel chapters 0A - 0P.
- Chapter 83 was omitted from Volume 13 due to the author’s request.
- Volume 14 includes “Berserk: The Prototype”.
- Due to the author's passing, starting from Chapter 365, the manga is illustrated by Studio Gaga (Miura's assistants) and supervised by Kouji Mori (a close friend of Miura's).

Tags: Tragedy , Seinen , Revenge , Male Protagonist , Demons , Cosmic Horror , Gore , Philosophy , Found Family , Anti-Hero , Travel , Rehabilitation , Mythology , Swordplay , Survival , Magic , War , Body Horror , Foreign , Gods , Religion , Primarily Adult Cast , Curses , Nudity , Fairy , Military , Politics , Disability , Time Skip , Amnesia , Torture , Witch , Elf , Coming of Age , Sadism , Dystopian , Heterosexual , Ensemble Cast , Kaiju , Skeleton , Achronological Order , Cult , Age Regression , Tomboy , Medieval , Adoption , Dungeon , Super Power , Kingdom Management , Slavery , Pregnancy , Prostitution , Cannibalism , Group Sex , Dragons , Incest , Monster Girl , Ships , LGBTQ+ Themes , Vore , Monster Boy , Mermaid , Masturbation , Fellatio

Shingeki no Kyojin

Also known as Attack on Titan.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Fantasy , Mystery

In this post-apocalyptic sci-fi story, humanity has been devastated by the bizarre, giant humanoids known as the Titans. Little is known about where they came from or why they are bent on consuming mankind. Seemingly unintelligent, they have roamed the world for years, killing everyone they see. For the past century, what's left of man has hidden in a giant, three-walled city. People believe their 50-meter-high walls will protect them from the Titans, but the sudden appearance of an immense Titan is about to change everything.



Note: Includes two extra chapters.

Tags: Dystopian , Anti-Hero , War , Philosophy , Tragedy , Military , Conspiracy , Survival , Kaiju , Shapeshifting , Memory Manipulation , Politics , Revenge , Henshin , Monster Boy , Male Protagonist , Terrorism , Mythology , Steampunk , Post-Apocalyptic , Super Power , Gore , Time Manipulation , Body Horror , Ensemble Cast , Cosmic Horror , Time Skip , Shounen , Cannibalism , Coming of Age , Slavery , Torture , Swordplay , Espionage , Amnesia , Tsundere , Primarily Adult Cast , Kuudere , Class Struggle , Disability , Religion , Cult , Medieval , Dissociative Identities , Drugs , Achronological Order , Transgender , Heterosexual , Reincarnation , Suicide , Baseball , Acrobatics

Kimetsu no Yaiba

Also known as Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Drama , Supernatural

The setting is Taisho era Japan. Tanjirou is a kindhearted young boy who lived peacefully with his family as a coal seller. Their normal life changes completely when his family is slaughtered by demons. The only other survivor, Tanjirou's younger sister Nezuko, has become a ferocious demon. In order to return Nezuko to normal and get revenge on the demon that killed their family, the two of them depart on a journey. From a young talent, an adventure tale of blood and swords begins!



Notes:
- Includes two extra chapters.
- Nominated to the 24th and 25th Annual Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize.

Tags: Demons , Shounen , Swordplay , Tragedy , Male Protagonist , Revenge , Gore , Historical , Afterlife , Body Horror , Rural , Orphan , Time Skip , Coming of Age , Shapeshifting , Travel , Reincarnation , Oiran , Trains , Guns , Crossdressing , Age Regression , Disability , Bisexual , Polyamorous , Youkai , Animals , Religion , Food

Tokyo Ghoul

Also known as Tokyo Ghoul.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Horror , Mystery , Psychological , Supernatural

Shy Ken Kaneki is thrilled to go on a date with the beautiful Rize. But it turns out that she’s only interested in his body—eating it, that is. When a morally questionable rescue transforms him into the first half-human half-Ghoul hybrid, Ken is drawn into the dark and violent world of Ghouls, which exists alongside our own.



Note: Includes one extra chapter.

Tags: Tragedy , Cannibalism , Urban Fantasy , Gore , Male Protagonist , Seinen , Survival , Philosophy , Dystopian , Coming of Age , Shapeshifting , Body Horror , Torture , Police , Kuudere , Terrorism , Primarily Adult Cast , Cosmic Horror , Heterosexual , Chimera , Twins , Mythology

Oyasumi Punpun

Also known as Goodnight Punpun.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Psychological , Slice of Life

Meet Punpun Punyama. He’s an average kid in an average town.
He wants to win a Nobel Prize and save the world.
He wants the girl he has a crush on to like him back.
He wants to find some porn.
That’s what he wants, but what does he get…?



Tags: Coming of Age , Seinen , Tragedy , Philosophy , Denpa , Suicide , Psychosexual , Urban , Heterosexual , Male Protagonist , Anti-Hero , Time Skip , School , Surreal Comedy , Meta , Gods , Fugitive , Cult , Work , Nudity , Body Horror , Love Triangle , Religion

Boku no Hero Academia

Also known as My Hero Academia.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Drama , Fantasy

Middle school student Izuku Midoriya wants to be a hero more than anything, but he hasn’t got an ounce of power in him. With no chance of ever getting into the prestigious U.A. High School for budding heroes, his life is looking more and more like a dead end. Then an encounter with All Might, the greatest hero of them all, gives him a chance to change his destiny…



Note:
- Winner of the 1st Next Manga Award in the Print Category in 2015.
- Nominated for the 8th Manga Taisho Award in 2015.
- Nominated for the 40th Kodansha Manga Award in the Shounen Category in 2016.
- Includes one extra chapter.

Tags: Superhero , Super Power , Urban Fantasy , Shounen , Male Protagonist , Primarily Teen Cast , Boarding School , Ensemble Cast , Terrorism , School , Conspiracy , Coming of Age , Crime , Criminal Organization , War , Anti-Hero , Revenge , Urban , Primarily Male Cast , Tragedy , Rescue , Body Horror , Politics , Drugs , Gore , Animals , Heterosexual , Fugitive , Tomboy , Guns , Age Regression , Teacher , Yakuza , Robots , Memory Manipulation , Nudity , Yandere

Yakusoku no Neverland

Also known as The Promised Neverland.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Fantasy , Horror , Mystery , Psychological , Thriller

Emma, Norman and Ray are the brightest kids at the Grace Field House orphanage. And under the care of the woman they refer to as “Mom,” all the kids have enjoyed a comfortable life. Good food, clean clothes and the perfect environment to learn—what more could an orphan ask for? One day, though, Emma and Norman uncover the dark truth of the outside world they are forbidden from seeing.



Note: Nominated to the 22nd, 23rd, and 25th Annual Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize.

Tags: Survival , Primarily Child Cast , Body Horror , Demons , Found Family , Dystopian , War , Coming of Age , Female Protagonist , Guns , Shounen , Politics , Travel , Alternate Universe , Ensemble Cast , Philosophy , Time Skip , Conspiracy , Anti-Hero , Gore , Prison , Male Protagonist , Amnesia , Rural , Heterosexual , Augmented Reality , Isekai , Suicide

Jeonjijeok Dokja Sijeom

Also known as Omniscient Reader.

Status: Hiatus
Genres: Action , Adventure , Fantasy

Back then, Dok-Ja had no idea. He had no idea his favorite web novel 'Three Ways to Survive the Apocalypse' was going to come to life, and that he would become the only person to know how the world was going to end. He also had no idea he would end up becoming the protagonist of this novel-turned-reality. Now, Dok-Ja will go on a journey to change the course of the story and save humankind once and for all.



Tags: Survival , Post-Apocalyptic , Death Game , Full Color , Meta , Male Protagonist , Gods , Denpa , POV , Time Loop , Tragedy , Philosophy , Astronomy , Alternate Universe , Found Family , Cosmic Horror , Suicide , Primarily Adult Cast , Historical , Battle Royale , Isekai , Long Strip , Religion , Swordplay , Body Horror , Dragons , Age Regression , Parody , Adoption , Trains , Ensemble Cast , Crossover , Demons , Angels , Terrorism , Afterlife , Female Protagonist , Zombie

BLEACH

Also known as Bleach.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Supernatural

Ichigo Kurosaki has always been able to see ghosts, but this ability doesn't change his life nearly as much as his close encounter with Rukia Kuchiki, a Soul Reaper and member of the mysterious Soul Society. While fighting a Hollow, an evil spirit that preys on humans who display psychic energy, Rukia attempts to lend Ichigo some of her powers so that he can save his family; but much to her surprise, Ichigo absorbs every last drop of her energy. Now a full-fledged Soul Reaper himself, Ichigo quickly learns that the world he inhabits is one full of dangerous spirits and, along with Rukia— who is slowly regaining her powers— it's Ichigo's job to protect the innocent from Hollows and help the spirits themselves find peace.



Note: Includes the 12-chapter “Turn Back The Pendulum” side story and 8 extra chapters.

Tags: Shounen , Swordplay , Super Power , Ghost , Male Protagonist , War , Ensemble Cast , Afterlife , Urban Fantasy , Conspiracy , Tragedy , Coming of Age , Large Breasts , Primarily Teen Cast , Exorcism , Philosophy , Henshin , Heterosexual , Anachronism , Primarily Male Cast , Body Horror , Time Skip , Delinquents , Gods , Marriage , Transgender

Dandadan

Also known as Dandadan.

Status: Releasing
Genres: Action , Comedy , Drama , Romance , Sci-Fi , Supernatural

Momo Ayase strikes up an unusual friendship with her school’s UFO fanatic, whom she nicknames “Okarun” because he has a name that is not to be said aloud. While Momo believes in spirits, she thinks aliens are nothing but nonsense. Her new friend, meanwhile, thinks the exact opposite. To settle matters, the two set out to prove each other wrong—Momo to a UFO hotspot and Okarun to a haunted tunnel! What unfolds next is a beautiful story of young love…and oddly horny aliens and spirits?



Note: Nominated for the 15th Manga Taisho Award in 2022.

Tags: Youkai , Urban Fantasy , Ghost , Aliens , Super Power , Shounen , Female Protagonist , Surreal Comedy , Tokusatsu , Male Protagonist , Henshin , Ensemble Cast , Primarily Teen Cast , Heterosexual , Gyaru , Shapeshifting , School , Body Horror , Love Triangle , Exorcism , Conspiracy , Kaiju , Curses , Amnesia , Gore , Tragedy , Terrorism , Super Robot , Chuunibyou , Circus , Gods , Nudity , Dissociative Identities , Tsundere , Cannibalism , Bullying , Acrobatics , Suicide , Dinosaurs

Kaijuu 8-gou

Also known as Kaiju No.8.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Sci-Fi

A man working a job far removed from his childhood dreams gets wrapped up in an unexpected situation…! Becoming a monster, he aims once again to fulfill his lifelong dream…!



Note:
- Nominated for the 14th Manga Taisho Award in 2021.
- Winner of the 7th Next Manga Award in the Web Manga Category in 2021.

Tags: Kaiju , Urban Fantasy , Shapeshifting , Shounen , Military , Henshin , Primarily Adult Cast , Super Power , Urban , Male Protagonist , Monster Boy , Tokusatsu , Guns , Gore , Conspiracy , Revenge , War , Body Horror , Heterosexual , Tragedy , Survival , Primarily Male Cast , Slapstick , Kuudere

JoJo no Kimyou na Bouken: Steel Ball Run

Also known as JoJo's Bizarre Adventure: Part 7–Steel Ball Run.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Drama , Mystery , Supernatural

Riders from around the world gather in the Wild West for the race of the century! Johnny Joestar, a former jockey paralyzed from the waist down, comes to spectate, and momentarily regains the ability to walk while watching a duel fought by Gyro Zeppeli. Desperate to learn more about this power, Johnny joins the race alongside Gyro and embarks on the most epic and bizarre race to ever cross the American frontier!



Tags: Travel , Cowboys , Super Power , Male Protagonist , Conspiracy , Seinen , Primarily Adult Cast , Foreign , Disability , Environmental , Tragedy , Alternate Universe , Outdoor Activities , Philosophy , Religion , Ensemble Cast , Historical , Terrorism , Primarily Male Cast , Gore , Guns , Desert , Crossdressing , Coming of Age , Body Horror , Trains , Espionage , Wilderness , Dinosaurs , Nun , Gambling , Time Manipulation , Indigenous Cultures , Nudity , Delinquents , Acting , Curses , Shapeshifting

Fire Punch

Also known as Fire Punch.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Mystery , Psychological , Supernatural , Thriller

Orphaned siblings Agni and Luna, like the Ice Witch who cursed their world, are two of the “blessed,” humans who hold special abilities. However, not all who are blessed are friendly, and after another of their kind attacks Agni and decimates the orphans' village, Agni fights to survive, vowing revenge.



Tags: Post-Apocalyptic , Tragedy , Dystopian , Suicide , Revenge , Philosophy , Cult , Anti-Hero , Super Power , Survival , Religion , Body Horror , Torture , Meta , Male Protagonist , Filmmaking , Gore , Cosmic Horror , Acting , Snowscape , Time Skip , Coming of Age , Cannibalism , Incest , Slavery , Gods , Surreal Comedy , Transgender , LGBTQ+ Themes , Urban Fantasy , Memory Manipulation , Denpa , Politics , Amputation , Shounen , Psychosexual , Heterosexual , Orphan

Tokyo Ghoul:re

Also known as Tokyo Ghoul:re.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Horror , Mystery , Psychological , Supernatural

In Tokyo, an unchanging despair is lurking. Mysterious man-eating beings, ghouls, run rampant in Tokyo. Living hidden during everyday life, the existence of ghouls, whose true identities are shrouded in mystery, permanently terrorizes Tokyo's residents.

At CCG, the sole institution that investigates and resolves cases related to ghouls, Haise Sasaki has been assigned a certain mission. While dealing with the unruly four problem children known as "Quinx", Haise's days of suffering begin...?!

Note: Includes one extra chapter and the one-shot "Tokyo Ghoul: Joker".

Tags: Tragedy , Dissociative Identities , Seinen , Amnesia , Philosophy , Dystopian , Body Horror , Shapeshifting , Gore , Coming of Age , Urban Fantasy , Conspiracy , Police , Rehabilitation , Primarily Adult Cast , Male Protagonist , Ensemble Cast , Heterosexual , Suicide , Kuudere , Yandere , Human Experimentation , LGBTQ+ Themes , Meta , Cosmic Horror , Terrorism , Crossdressing , Transgender , Nudity , Mythology , Incest , Gender Bending

Jigokuraku

Also known as Hell’s Paradise: Jigokuraku.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Mystery , Supernatural

Gabimaru the Hollow is one of the most vicious assassins ever to come out of the ninja village of Iwagakure. He’s ruthlessly efficient, but a betrayal results in him being handed a death sentence. He has only one hope—in order to earn his freedom, he must travel to a long-hidden island and recover an elixir that will make the shogun immortal. Failure is not an option. On this island, heaven and hell are just a hair’s breadth away.



Tags: Survival , Samurai , Philosophy , Mythology , Ninja , Ensemble Cast , Anti-Hero , Gore , Tragedy , Historical , Gods , Primarily Adult Cast , Male Protagonist , Eco-Horror , Assassins , Swordplay , Body Horror , Battle Royale , Gender Bending , Shounen , Nudity , Arranged Marriage , Heterosexual , Super Power , Travel , LGBTQ+ Themes , Amnesia , Crime , Yandere , Religion

Dorohedoro

Also known as Dorohedoro.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Adventure , Comedy , Fantasy , Horror , Mystery

In a city so dismal it's known only as "the Hole," a clan of Sorcerers have been plucking people off the streets to use as guinea pigs for atrocious "experiments" in the black arts. In a dark alley, Nikaido found Caiman, a man with a reptile head and a bad case of amnesia. To undo the spell, they're hunting and killing the Sorcerers in the Hole, hoping that eventually they'll kill the right one. But when En, the head Sorcerer, gets word of a lizard-man slaughtering his people, he sends a crew of "cleaners" into the Hole, igniting a war between two worlds.



Note: Includes 23 side stories titled "Extra Evil" and the side story "The Lizard Head and the Magic Whistle."

Tags: Dissociative Identities , Magic , Ensemble Cast , Anti-Hero , Amnesia , Seinen , Revenge , Dystopian , Body Horror , Gore , Monster Boy , Surreal Comedy , Primarily Adult Cast , Demons , Urban Fantasy , Curses , Time Manipulation , Super Power , Henshin , Gangs , Cosmic Horror , Body Swapping , Female Protagonist , Class Struggle , Nudity , Animals , Anthropomorphism , Zombie , Male Protagonist , Cyberpunk , Gender Bending

Uzumaki

Also known as Uzumaki: Spiral into Horror.

Status: Finished
Genres: Drama , Horror , Mystery , Psychological , Romance , Supernatural

Kurozu-cho, a small fogbound town on the coast of Japan, is cursed. According to Shuichi Saito, the withdrawn boyfriend of teenager Kirie Goshima, their town is haunted not by a person or being but by a pattern: uzumaki, the spiral, the hypnotic secret shape of the world. It manifests itself in small ways: seashells, ferns, whirlpools in water, whirlwinds in air. And in large ways: the spiral marks on people's bodies, the insane obsessions of Shuichi's father, the voice from the cochlea in your inner ear. As the madness spreads, the inhabitants of Kurouzu-cho are pulled ever deeper, as if into a whirlpool from which there is no return...



Notes:
- Includes the extra chapter "Uzumaki Tokubetsu-hen: Ginga", which was included in editions later released.
- Chosen by the American Library Association (ALA) as one of the Top Ten Great Graphic Novels for Teens 2009. (Vol. 1)

Tags: Tragedy , Body Horror , Cosmic Horror , Seinen , Survival , Female Protagonist , Gore , Episodic , Philosophy , Lost Civilization , Rural , Cannibalism , Urban Fantasy , Heterosexual , Suicide , Curses , Bullying , Demons , Unrequited Love , Cult , Yandere

Houseki no Kuni

Also known as Land of the Lustrous.

Status: Finished
Genres: Action , Drama , Fantasy , Mystery , Psychological , Sci-Fi

In a world inhabited by crystalline lifeforms called The Lustrous, every unique gem must fight for their way of life against the threat of lunarians who would turn them into decorations. Phosphophyllite, the most fragile and brittle of gems, longs to join the battle. When Phos is instead assigned to complete a natural history of their world, it sounds like a dull and pointless task. But this new job brings Phos into contact with Cinnabar, a gem forced to live in isolation. Can Phos’s seemingly mundane assignment lead both Phos and Cinnabar to the fulfillment they desire?



Note: Nominated for the 8th Manga Taisho in 2015.

Tags: Philosophy , Tragedy , Anthropomorphism , Seinen , Religion , Anti-Hero , Cosmic Horror , Body Horror , Shapeshifting , Post-Apocalyptic , Time Skip , Revenge , War , Amnesia , Agender , Reincarnation , Dissociative Identities , Ensemble Cast , Space , Asexual , Aliens , Swordplay , Suicide , LGBTQ+ Themes , Politics , Robots , Gods , Work , Nudity